India arrests 15 men for ‘sedition’ after cheering Pakistan in cricket final victory

At least 15 people have been arrested in India on sedition charges for shouting "anti-India and pro-Pakistan” slogans during the ICC Champions Trophy final between the rival cricket-mad nations Sunday.

The men, aged 19-35, were denied bail in a Madhya Pradesh court where they were charged under section 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. They were later transferred to the Khandwa district jail.

Relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, particularly in the disputed Kashmir region where a series of high profile incidents have heightened tensions in recent months.

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The men were allegedly charged for the anti-India and not the pro-Pakistan slogans.

The charge of sedition is among the most severe under Indian law as the accused must surrender their passports, appear in court as and when ordered, while paying legal fees throughout the entire process.

“There was a complaint that these accused celebrated Pakistan’s victory by bursting crackers and raising pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans,” Sanjay Pathak of the local Shahpur police station told The Hindu.